Secrets : A Minute's Silence over Gallifrey (Only One)
by Dr.Dalek
Summary: When a squad of young Time Lord Soldiers is attacked and the enemies are searching for their mastermind Theta has to be the unlucky one to know where Koschei really is hiding... Another one of my Theta/Koschei one-shot cute fluff, M/M. Warning: this story deals with subjects as torture.


_A little Easter Fluff for my dear fan Fractured Mirror. I really hope you enjoy it.  
(And if you ever want to me write you anything again please let me know! )_

_Inspired by Yellowcard's "Only One"._

* * *

Two punches to the ribs, a gun barrel into the chest and several kicks in the stomach.

Theta slackened after receiving the guard's rough treatment.  
He lifted his head a bit; his vision was blurred from the blood that besmeared his face.  
One of the guards greeted him with a broad grin as he dared to meet his gaze.

"Anything else to say?"

Just a simulation. That's all it had been.  
_Should_ have been.

Division Ω15 (operating under the leadership of the Voleyard) was supposed to participate in a simulated emergency situation on μ2145 of the ReggiT7 constellation.

A rather simple planet actually; usually occupied by not very civilized but easily scared creatures.  
The short and acute training was supposed to improve the emergency management and put the disaster control to test.  
Furthermore it was supposed to enhance civil protection, even if only because of the appalling lack of dangerous and hard-to-control recruits; especially Koschei.

Theta hadn't been too pleased at the mere idea of him being in the wild and pretending to be fighting a war against an overpowering enemy. Most of all it seemed stupid; the whole training at the Academy had been senseless so far and Theta shuddered at the mere thought of being forced to share a tent with Koschei ever again.

He shook his head.  
No.  
Some things just happen once in a lifetime; and other things shouldn't even happen once in a lifetime to you.  
Eventually he decided for himself that he wouldn't share another tent with Koschei until he'd at least regenerated twenty times or something. But sadly it wasn't his decision to make – it was Voleyard's.

After what had felt like Koschei's hundredth attempt to kill their superior, Voleyard's predecessor had thrown in the towel and quit the job.  
Koschei had never been charged for attempted murder; he always seemed to succeed with defending his actions as experiments for complicated surprise attacks.  
And, much to the detriment of Theta, most of the recruiting and training staff considered a healthy competition to be conducive to the environment.

Through the haze μ2145's vegetation looked a bit like Gallifrey.  
Theta watched the dimly light horizon; there was a storm approaching and, in the worst case, some snow.  
Theta shuddered quietly and guarded his position.  
Snow could have its advantages; first of all the mist would disappear during the dawn operation; and footprints in the snow would make it easier for them to track their 'enemy'.

Theta sighed as he climbed down from a grassy hill.  
Enemy.  
They had no enemy on μ2145. The Division's 'enemy' was the other, poor half of the Division, dressed up in strange costumes and equipped with useless weapons and a map with ideal spots for secret base camps.  
And, to make the hunt a bit more interesting, the 'enemy' had larger food supplies.

Well, Theta didn't care much for hunting down comrades and stealing their food.  
Though their group leader had a different point of view.

Theta was the last to return to the troop's camp after dawn.  
And he knew what this meant; another lecture from the group leader.

"Theta-Sigma, step forward!"  
Theta rolled his eyes and moved closer to the fire.  
"You've failed to return before dawn. Any excuses? Any miserable attempt to defend your poor actions?"

There was silence apart from the crackling of the fire in front of him.  
The rest of the troop must have stood around the group leader; though the fire was all Theta could make out in the dark.  
One of his comrades coughed pathetically to indicate that an answer was expected of Theta.

Theta rolled his eyes again.  
He heard a sigh from the other side of the camp fire.  
"Anything else to say?"  
Theta growled quietly.  
"No, Sir" he replied eventually.  
"I would be more pleased if you'd use my name" came as answer from behind the fire.

Theta shook his head quietly before blurting out: "Koschei this is ridiculous."

Embarrassed silence seemed to spread around the camp fire.  
Eventually Koschei released the tension by correcting him:  
"_Master_, Theta-Sigma. You may refer to me as _Master_."

"Koschei, stop this nonsense" bursted out Theta as he was getting annoyed.  
A quiet sizzling noise and the stench of burnt peat indicated that someone had fired a sonic sidearm at his feet.  
Theta rolled his eyes again and repeated "Master, I didn't intend to be late; but the situation required it."

There were muffled sounds of quiet arguments and the pathetic coughing again.

"We'll decide later on whether or not a penalty is called for" replied Koschei, the vainglorious group leader.

Theta sighed quietly at the sound of feet shuffling and murmur spreading around him as the other members of the group disappeared to enjoy a good night's sleep in their tents.  
Footsteps approached and Theta looked up into a pair of glistening orbs.  
"That wasn't too hard to say, was it?" smirked Koschei.

Theta sat in front of the tent, arms folded. He was sitting with his back to the tent, facing the beautiful and calm nature in the dim light of the night sky.  
Behind him Koschei rummaged around in the tent.

"I'm never setting another foot into it ever again" grumbled Theta and puffed at the sight of small clouds forming in front of his lips.  
From the inside he could hear Koschei chuckling quietly.  
"You're completely out of your mind" snarled Theta and turned his head around "One week and you're turning our elite troop into a dictatorship with you as their leader."  
"Don't be ridiculous" contradicted Koschei "I'm just a recruit."  
"You _are_ their leader!"  
"I'm just the group leader" Koschei tried to defend himself.  
"Then what's with this stupid name of yours?" asked Theta and ripped open the door of the tent.

He stared a smiling Koschei in the face; eventually he shrugged.  
"I like it when you use that name. It..." Koschei ran his fingers over Theta's thighs, 'accidently' brushing them against his crotch; "It makes me tingle all over."

Theta closed the door, consisting of a dark cloth, as fast as he'd opened it.

"You're driving me insane" growled Theta and folded his arms.  
"Come on, Theta" Koschei pushed the door open and let his hands rest on his shoulders. "It's all a matter of power... Authority's the key, Theta. Persuasiveness and authority."  
Koschei massaged his shoulder's fondly; Theta folded his arms once more.  
"Just wait till the Voleyard hears about this" mumbled Theta.  
Koschei chuckled.  
"Oh I can't wait to hear what he has to say about it" smirked Koschei as he rested his head on Theta's right shoulder to nibble on his neck; "Face it Theta; our superiors think a healthy competition to be conducive to the environment."  
"You like their way of expressing it, you idiot" mumbled Theta as he turned his head around; out of the dark two gold-glistening orbs were watching him with fascination.  
"It's a rat race, that's all" snarled Theta "Do you hear me, Koschei? Nothing but a bloody rat race and you're struggling so hard to be nothing but an alpha rat. Just a rat, Koschei, you're nothing but a rat. Ouch!"

Koschei had bit down on Theta's neck and sucked on the small wound to draw blood.  
Theta wriggled himself free from his grip and turned around, his eyes radiating his fury.

"Better the alpha rat than just a submissive bottom rat, or what do you think?" asked Koschei unabashed.  
"That's not a proper term" growled Theta.  
"For you it is" snapped Koschei.  
Theta considered this for a moment; then he pounced.

After several minutes of quite offensive snarls from Theta and unstrained laughter from Koschei, after some bruised arms and unpleasant contusions Theta was secured, safely restrained in Koschei's arms.  
Koschei stroked Theta's hair tenderly as Theta was still trying to free himself.

"You know what you mean to me, don't you Theta?" asked Koschei softly, causing Theta to stop struggling in an instant.  
He listened quietly as Koschei's voice once again displayed his affection.  
"You know how much you mean to me, how much I love you my dear Theta, don't you?"  
"Is this your way of apologizing?" asked Theta grumpily "Because it's not working."

"There's nothing more important on this planet than you" Koschei continued unswervingly "and nothing that compares to your beauty."  
"Great" replied Theta "The inhabitants of this planet are striped balls with blunt teeth that may be scared away by a rabbit, but thanks anyway."

Koschei pulled Theta's face towards him.  
"Usually it's me who can't take anything serious."  
"I've just had enough of your boisterous narcissism" replied Theta "I'm under the sway of a dictator and I can't stand it any longer. I've never been so mad at you, Koschei. I've been humiliated, domineered, carpeted and shot at. I have enough of this!"

Koschei listened in silence, stroking Theta's soft skin ad infinitum.

Theta let out an enraged snarl and pressed his face against Koschei's: "Did you hear me, Koschei? I can't stand it any longer! I've done unspeakable things for you before, I've endured everything you wanted, everything, every perverted fantasy, every hurtful technique, and there's been nothing I haven't borne for you Koschei. But I've reached my limit."

Koschei sighed quietly and placed a warm kiss on Theta's lips.  
"And a kiss can't make up for it" explained Theta but brushed his face against Koschei's cheeks nonetheless.  
"I don't want you to push your limits for me" stated Koschei in a low voice; "I don't want to you to do anything for me. Anything ever again. But promise me one thing, will you Theta? Just one thing."

Theta rolled his eyes before he met Koschei's gaze; he sighed quietly and rested his head on Koschei's chest.

"Don't ever abandon me, Theta. Don't betray me."  
"That's two things" corrected Theta and chuckled quietly as Koschei nipped his shoulder.  
"I mean it" stated Koschei quietly before continuing earnestly "Will you promise me that? That you'll never abandon and never betray me?"  
Theta sighed.  
He knew he couldn't stay awake any longer and he didn't want Koschei to keep on pestering him; eventually he gave in.

Koschei smiled happily as he received Theta's promise.  
"But" Theta went on "What do I get in return?"

Koschei covered Theta's forehead with kisses.  
"Protection" said Koschei "Protection without restrictions; from anything and everywhere."

Then everything had happened too fast.  
The group was split and scattered across the planet; small groups got lost in the vast veldt before Koschei had ordered them to form dyads; the last person Theta got to see was Koschei as alien intruders had dragged him off kicking and screaming while Theta had given Koschei an opportunity to escape.  
Eventually Theta regained consciousness to find himself locked in a small cell.  
Which soon turned out to be a torture chamber.

Theta hung lifeless in his restraints and panted quietly.  
After a while the guards got bored of his lethargic attitude and thought they could make it a bit more interesting.  
They started with dragging Theta around by his hair, kicking against his ribcage until it went crack and leaving him covered in blood in the torture chamber; only to find him in the best of health in the morning.  
His torturers were a left over military formation of Thejila42s, a battle field race, known to appear wherever soldiers fought.  
Known to be the most brutal gaolers in the universe they seemed more than interested in prisoners who wouldn't instantly bleed to death if you cut their throats or simply die of septicaemia.

Time Lords, as they explained after maltreating Theta for a week before he would give the name of his race away, were ideal test objects; this way the unpractised soldiers would get an opportunity to prove themselves.  
And Theta was ideal in more than one way; he didn't give in.

Theta had had needles driven under his fingernails, he'd been cut, some of his flesh had been torn from his muscles, he'd been burnt, and severely injured.  
And yet he was still alive.

Theta had remained silent. He'd never screamed for help or had begged them to stop.  
He'd just waited.  
Waited and hoped that Koschei would keep his promise...

The light that had protruded from underneath the door vanished. Theta took a deep breath and dangled in his chains.  
Another guard - another tormentor.

His head dropped in exhaustion as the door creaked open.

"A lucky one, isn't he?" sneered a guard sarcastically.  
He stepped forward and prodded the prisoner with his foot.  
Theta's eyes snapped open - he tried hard not to glare at the intruder.  
"The general himself has decided on paying you a visit today. You should feel honoured."

Theta bit back a snarl as he caught a glimpse of the highly decorated figure approaching.  
His silvery titanium armour seemed thin and filigree; but you only had to take one look at it to know that it was to a soldier what a freshly sharpened knife is to a butcher.  
It was nearly impossible for Theta to make out the creature's eyes underneath it; which, in fact, wasn't so bad.  
Theta didn't even want to know what kind of thing lurked underneath it.

The guard raised his rifle and pushed it deep into Theta's ribcage and, after that, his tantalized stomach.

Theta was more than pleased right now that they had tried to let him starve; otherwise he would have thrown up right now.  
Instead he only spat at the floor.

"It's called a 'Time Lord'" explained the guard. "And apparently it hasn't been taught manners" added the general coldly.  
"Sir, no, Sir" said the guard dutifully "but it's rather useful. Time Lords seem to be able to restore their used life powers and endure abuse and torment without being physically strained."

The general's grey leather gloves reached for Theta's face; Theta weighed his chances for escaping this cell alive if he would give it a bite.  
Eventually his head sagged again.

"Time Lord" spoke the general coldly.  
He took a closer look at the blood stained clothes that the prisoner was wearing and ran his fingers over a badge.  
He stared at it with rising interest.  
"ΘΣ" he spoke quietly  
"'Theta-Sigma'" corrected Theta gravely only to obtain a slap in the face from the guard.  
"Keep your trap shut!" snarled the guard but was silenced in an instant by one of the general's gestures.  
Without saying another word the guard had left the room and locked the door from the outside.

Theta raised his head a bit to catch a hurtful glimpse of the tormentor who wanted his privacy with a prisoner.

The deafening silence was broken by the shuffling of his feet.  
Something about his movement indicated... coldness.

"Your leader is still on the run" said the general bluntly "He's thought to be hiding in some cave near the veldt. As I was told he's the last remaining target."

Theta's eyes became hollow and mirthless.

As the general went on he knew what lay before him - a decision.  
And he had to choose.

Keeping a promise or breaking it.

Devotedness or betrayal.

It was either ending this madness of silence at daylight and crying at night by finally giving in or staying determined and stubborn and being beaten up into a bloody heap from day to day.  
Theta gulped as the two sides argued inside of his head; they were even too loud to let him hear what the terrifying general was about to say.

'He's at his wit's end' explained his reasonable side, which was in a huff 'He can't hold on any longer. Koschei had wanted him not to betray him but not to letting himself get beaten to death over telling some soldiers with quite convincing arguments, like fists and knives and clubs with nails in it, in which cave he was possibly hiding.'

'He can endure it' his loyal conscience disagreed 'and he's already suffered worse things at Koschei's hands. He keeps his promises; and hopes that Koschei will keep his.'  
'About that' interposed his reasonable side again 'where was Koschei when Theta had screamed his heart out as they had cut open his spine? Face it, you romantic dreamer, Koschei broke his promise and there's nothing that will keep Theta from breaking his.'  
'Of course there is something: me!' snapped Theta's conscience.  
His reasonable side rolled its imaginary eyes: 'But not for long.'

'He can make it.'  
'He's cracking up.'  
'Just hold on a bit longer. You won't regret it!'  
'True, he won't have anything to regret then; because he will be dead.'  
'Stop it!'  
"And now he's breaking up.'  
'He promised Koschei.'  
'...and giving up.'

The abrupt silence made Theta's ears ring; the conversation inside of his head had ended as soon as it had started.  
And once more he found himself all alone.  
With his choice.

Theta spat on the floor at the taste of blood in his mouth. As he looked up he met the general's enraged stare.

"I'm going to ask you one last time" snarled the highly decorated officer "You try my patience!"  
The general's eyes gleamed underneath the giant helmet that looked almost like a mask. They seemed to burn through the metal like to pulsating suns.

"Where is your leader?" growled the general. He prodded Theta once more.  
Theta gave no reply.  
"We both know that you'll break under my hands. The only question you should be asking yourself right now is: Can my body fix a broken backbone?"  
With those words the general grabbed Theta by the hair and pulled his head back until he'd give a yelp.

Theta closed his eyes.  
Keeping a promise or breaking it.  
Keeping a promise or breaking _up_.

A gloved hand ran down his spine.  
"If I'd break this fragile thing now... can you still pick up the pieces."

Tears formed in Theta's eyes.  
Betrayal or loyalty. It was either shame or pain. No way out. His decision to make.

"I can see right through you" grinned the general "You're giving in. And there's no sense in offering resistance anyway. You can't hold your head up unless you want it bashed in."

Theta bit his lower lip.  
He felt the general's steamy breath in his neck as his head got pulled back more and more. He felt his muscles tensing as the pain increased.

"Be a good soldier and do as you're told" whispered the general as he clutched at Theta's neck mercilessly "This is my last offer: you're going to tell me where your camp leader is hiding or I'm gonna snap your neck; no second chances, no mercy, nothing."

He waited a few seconds to make sure that his messaged had seeped through his prisoner's mind; eventually he increased his grip and looked down into Theta's horrified eyes.

"Well, that's it" added the general "Five seconds. Give me the sought answer or start counting your blessings."

Hot tears bedabbled Theta's cheeks. He cried soundless as he didn't want to show any signs of fear.

'Well, here I go,' Theta thought, his mind racing with images of memories, with memories of Koschei ..._his_ Koschei, his beloved, his only...  
A small sob escaped his firmly closed lips.  
Theta took a deep breath.  
'Scream my lungs out and trying to think of you... you are my only... my only one'

Theta froze as the pressure on his head increased; and his blood curdling scream filled the room as he thought his world had become a white nightmare of pain.

Which it hadn't.

Theta's eyes snapped open.  
He felt warm.  
He felt...  
The deafening silence was gone. He could hear water trickling.  
He looked around.  
He was still in the cell, yes, still in the cell with the general's hands on his neck.  
But his hands... his hands were...

Theta was lowered onto the ground, collapsing beside the carelessly discarded gloves.  
Warm fingers wiped the tears out of his eyes and caressed his cheeks fondly.  
The mask-like helmet was removed to reveal a pair of comforting amber-coloured eyes.

"... and I'd never thought you'd die for me..."

"Kosch..." Theta broke off in mid-sentence and continued with a gut-wrenching whine as Koschei placed a firm finger on his lips.  
"You better be quiet" he whispered in a soothing voice "They'd rather hear some screams than tender squeals from you."

Theta couldn't ask even a single question; all he could manage were some quiet moans and tearful sobs.  
Koschei stroked him tenderly as he caressed his friend's maltreated body.  
He reached out to find Theta's thoughts still trembling and racing with fear.

"It's over now" promised Koschei and kissed his cheeks "before the night is over we'll get out of here."  
"And no" he added after listening intensely into his friend's mind "I didn't wait for you to prove your undying love for me. This was the first bloody night I was allowed to take a bloody look at you. I never would have let them do this to you..."  
Theta raised his head and weakly grabbed Koschei's neck.

Enfeebled he buried his fingers in Koschei's hair and pulled his face closer, closer and closer until their lips were covering each other's mouth.  
Theta kissed him softly with tears running down his cheeks.  
Eventually Koschei broke free from the kiss to let Theta breathe again.

"How will you...?" Theta began but got cut off by Koschei who shook his head.  
"You'll pretend to cooperate and will lead me to your 'Master's' hiding place" explained Koschei and smirked "Which will be the ideal moment for both of us to make a run for it."  
Theta lifted his head and tried to sit up as he got pushed back by Koschei again.

"No need to hurry" added Koschei "At least we should try to fake a good interrogation."  
Theta stared at, him furrowing his brow.  
In no time Koschei had stripped off Theta's clothes, grabbed his thighs and separated his legs.

Theta struggled with little effort before concluding that resistance was futile.  
He was weak, he was hungry and he hadn't managed to convince Koschei that there may be times when making out wasn't the best of ideas ever before.  
So why even bother trying it now?

Koschei kneeled down between Theta's spread legs and massaged some life back into those cold and twitching thighs. He smirked as he felt Theta quivering beneath him.  
"Kosch... please" moaned Theta quietly as Koschei's hot tongue rested on his chest and worked its way towards his nipples.  
Koschei played about his tremulous nipples for quite some time, waiting until he'd elicit those sweet words from Theta, those soft moans, these beguiling whispers...

Koschei breathed in deep, smiling softly, as he felt he was already popping a boner at the mere thought of it.  
Theta barely struggled as Koschei moved forwards, hardly being able to bridle his lust. With burning determination he pressed his lips against Thetas, kissing him, taking his breath away, covering his shivering and wheezing friend with his hot and strained body.  
How long he'd longed for it... how long he'd waited for this moment...

With little effort Koschei pushed, shoving his twitching member into the beloved body until he'd hear Theta screaming and begging for more.  
Chest against chest, burning thighs against cold legs, soft lips again tortured skin.

Koschei picked up the pace, panting, cursing and trembling with anticipation.  
He'd really missed Theta's small and fragile body... and even thinking about how long he'd been forced to be celibate made his cravings intolerable.

Theta grunted and dug his nails into Koschei's back, ripping his skin open and leaving marks of their lecherous behaviour.

Koschei thrust in deeper and with growing strength, making the pain hardly bearable for his exhausted friend. Tears were forming in Theta's eyes as he got poked and pushed and pounded into the ground; his legs cramped and he felt the blood rushing down into his pelvic area.  
The hickeys on Theta's neck were increasing and Koschei bit down harder and harder until he drew blood.  
So close... still...  
Koschei growled and panted heavily; untime-lordly; primitively;  
Feral.

Theta felt that he couldn't hold back any longer and held his breath as he felt the hot-white pain rushing down his spine and the burning prurience spreading throughout his body.  
It felt as if his hearts had stopped beating for a moment;  
And then the pain was back and with the pain the joy, and the unbelievable feeling, yes, the feeling of being alive and being in Koschei's protecting arms.  
The world around him became a comfortable blur and faded into the background.  
And all he heard was Koschei, cursing under his breath and panting, panting and never slowing down, always picking up the pace until there was a moment of silence and this indescribably enjoyable filling of hot warmness that seemed to fill him up...

_"__What do you think, Doctor?" asked Jack.  
The Doctor leaned back, still lost in thought.  
Both his and Jacks hands were tied together as they sat there in the dark prison, back pressed against back.  
Jack turned his head around slowly.  
"Doctor?"_

_The Doctor blinked.  
"Pardon?" he mumbled as his mind seemed to unfreeze and return to reality.  
"I just asked you if you have any idea concerning what kind of alien race our guards are" repeated Jack, adding half to himself "Typical; As soon as I start talking he switches off."  
"I don't know their name" explained the Doctor. Jack seemed surprised for a moment.  
"Of course" the Doctor went on "I doubt that they even have a name, after all they seem to be descendants from of Thejila42s I, an ordinary battle field aliens. Not much for thinking but a good punch in the back and they can cause your kidneys to disintegrate. But they're not that bad, really, mostly charming creatures. Unless they want to get something out of you."  
"Like what?" asked Jack.  
The Doctor shifted a bit uneasy as he searched for the least upsetting answer: "Like all the squashy bits on your inside?"_

_Jack sighed as he bumped his backwards against the Doctor's.  
"Is there anything I can do?" asked Jack.  
He was aware that the Doctor had opened his mouth and therefore added: "Anything _besides_ saving your life by letting myself get killed by a bunch of enraged aliens?"  
The Doctor hesitated.  
"Oh, come on!" shouted Jack "That's just not fair, it's the fourth time this week! Did you hear me? The fourth time! And you haven't even _tried_ regenerating only once...!"  
The Doctor stared at his feet._

_Jack cursed under his breath.  
The Doctor let him think for a moment.  
"Calculating our chances?" he asked meekly.  
"No" grumbled Jack "Counting my blessings."  
Silence hung upon them like a thick velvet carpet._

_"__You sure it's going to work?" asked Jack.  
Again the Doctor was already lost in thought.  
One day, Jack thought to himself, I'll know who he's thinking about all the time. One day I'll know who this Koschei is he's calling names in his dreams.  
One day I'll probably understand the Doctor.  
He smirked mildly.  
Sure. When hell freezes over._

_Jack nodded to the Doctor, mostly by bumping their heads together;  
he enjoyed once more the last moments of his life before shouting for one of the guards._


End file.
